WestNet, pot advocates keep doing their dance

You have to give the members of WestNET credit for persistence, that’s for sure.

Undeterred by two unsuccessful attempts within the past year to prosecute alleged abusers of the state’s medicinal marijuana laws, the local drug task force last week nonetheless shut down the North End Club 420, a self-described co-op for growers and users of the drug.

In their search of Olalla resident Guy Casey’s residence, detectives seized more than 70 plants — far in excess of the authorized legal limit of 15 plants.

“This is a group that states they grow for medicinal reasons and not for financial gain,” said Sergeant Carlos Rodriguez. “That isn’t the case. It is a for-profit organization. They’re making money.”

So, allegedly, were Casey’s Olalla neighbors Bruce Olson, who was found not-guilty a year ago this month of a similar charge, and Glenn Musgrove, whose charges were dismissed by Kitsap County prosecutors in April 2009.

And no doubt the most recent case, like its predecessors, will become a cause celebre for national organizations such as the Cannabis Defense Coalition, which succeeded in obtaining Olson’s acquittal.

Just as a point of discussion, of course, we always find it somewhat ironic that such groups — to say nothing of the unaffiliated cannibis devotees who show up for the trials — are always so quick to assume the defendants’ innocence.

After all, you’d think someone truly concerned only with the medicinal merits of marijuana should be especially outraged by common pushers who abuse the privilege by hiding beneath the umbrella of the public’s compassion.

If you didn’t know better, you’d almost swear they symphathize with every pothead who comes along because their real motivation is to boost the drug’s image in hopes of one day having it decriminalized so they didn’t have to go through the whole “medicinal” charade in the first place.

Fortunately, we know better, huh?

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